Wait to Turn
by ophalynjt
Summary: After Klaus has been defeated Elena tells Damon she loves him and wants to be with him forever but he tells her she needs wait five years to see if she still feels the same way and if she does, he'll turn her
1. Prologue

I can't believe I'm writing another TVD fic but this idea came to me suddenly and I just started writing. I hope you all like it.

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**Wait to Turn**

**Prologue**

He knew she was there even before the door opened but he didn't make any kind of movement or acknowledge her presence. He could feel her eyes boring into his back and after a few minutes of silence he finally turned around to face her. There was a sadness on her tear stained face that he had never seen before and he immediately averted his eyes not know how to face her because it was all his fault that she was in pain in the first place. He was the one that Klaus was about to stake when Stefan put himself in front of his brother and ended up being killed in the process. This was his fault.

"Don't shut me out Damon." she says quietly walking further into the room.

He shut his eyes tightly before looking back up at her but he doesn't say anything instead he turns and walks to the bar and pours himself another glass of scotch and bringing it up to his mouth and downing the contents quickly before pouring himself another glass. When a few minutes pass and he still hasn't said anything she moves quietly until she's standing right beside him. He lifts up the glass offering it to her and after a moment she takes the glass, he eyes her curiously and she downs the contents, coughing as it burns going down her throat. He takes the glass from her and he pours himself another and she wonders how many he has had already.

"This…Stefan's dea...death isn't your fault Damon." she says her eyes tearing up.

He scoffs and looks at her incredulously. "Of course it is. He got a stake through his heart trying to save me." He said through clenched teeth before bringing the glass to his lips again and swallowing the contents in one gulp.

"And you were trying to make sure that I was alright even though you were still weak from being stabbed and tied up with those vervain ropes and hadn't had a chance to feed." she said putting her hands on his back but he shrugged her away. She stood there standing behind him quietly wondering what to do next. She knew that Damon would let his guilt over Stefan's death eat him up and she was afraid that he would flip that switch again to stop all of the pain.

"If it's anyone's fault its mine." she says quietly and after a moment he turns to look at her and she shrugs, "I was the one that Klaus wanted, I was the one that you and Stefan were trying so hard to protect, I was the reason why you were so distracted, I am the reason why Stefan is dead." she said and she put her hand up when Damon opened his mouth to argue, "But I had no control over any of it really. I never could have imagined that I was someone's doppelganger and the key to unlocking the sun and the moon curse. I never could have imagined that vampires, werewolves and witches existed and they would be so interwoven with my life. Stefan's death isn't your fault Damon and frankly it's not even mine, it's just…it's just something that happened."

She ran her hand through her hair and sat on the edge of the sofa and put her hand out. "I don't mean to sound so nonchalant about it, because it's not how I feel at all. I can't really believe Stefan is gone, but I…I can't well if I dwell on it too much then the grief and the pain…and well I don't know if I can handle that," she says with tears in her eyes, "But I also know that I won't be able to handle it if you shut me out too."

"Elena you're better off without me. The danger is gone now and I don't belong here. I've never belonged here." he said impassively.

"What are you talking about Damon, yes you do. You belong here with me!"

He opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out and he just stared at her and shook his head but she grabbed his arm and made him look at her. "I…I…I loved Stefan so much but somehow without my ever even realizing it I started to develop feelings for you too. I never acknowledged it and found hating you and being angry with you easier than admitting to myself that you had gotten to me. I didn't want to be Katherine." she said tears streaming down her face now but there was no sadness in her eyes. She took a step forward and cupped his face with her hand, "Damon I love you."

He closed his eyes and he leaned into her hand a little before opening his eyes and grabbing her hand gently and bringing it down shaking his head. "Elena you can't love me, I'm no good for you and you just lost Stefan you're confused and…"

"I heard what you said to me that night." she says suddenly and he looks at her, his blue eyes wide. "The night that you and Stefan saved me from Elijah, you brought back my necklace, I remember what you said...everything."

Realization dawned on Damon and surprise filled his face, "You remember?"

"Actually I never forgot." she said simply shrugging. "When I got home that night I drank some of Jenna's vervain tea, I didn't have my necklace and I figured it was good idea since I didn't know when I would be able to replace it so you see I couldn't be compelled."

"Well that would have been good to know." He said before taking a few steps back and sitting on the edge of the armchair looking at her. "Why didn't you ever say anything?"

"I…I didn't really know how to. You obviously didn't want me to know and I wasn't entirely sure how I felt about you or at least not in a way that I could admit out loud." she said standing in front of him and staring into his eyes. "You were wrong though you do deserve me. You…you're not as horrible as you think and Stefan he wasn't as perfect as it seemed and I, well I am definitely not perfect."

"It still doesn't mean I deserve you." he said quietly. "I'm still a monster Elena, nothing is going to change that."

"You may not think so but I don't think you are and I think you deserve me." she said smiling softly and bringing her hand up and cupping the side of his face again. "I love you Damon, just the way you are."

He stared at her incredulously for a moment before standing up to look at her. "You love me?" he questioned with a whisper afraid that she might change her mind but she smiled and nodded her head. He closed his eyes and Elena felt a wetness hit her hand and when she looked back at Damon's face she saw he had tears in his eyes. She wiped his tears and got on her tippy toes and kissed each eye and she felt him let out a breath.

They looked at each other, just staring into each others eyes and then he snaked his arms around her back and her hands immediately found themselves around his neck. Slowly they moved towards eachother and his lips grazed her lightly at first, their noses bumping against eachother and she smiled and pulled him down and crushed her lips against his. It started out slow as they were lazily discovering eachother but it soon grew passionate, hungry and they broke apart breathless. He looked at her and saw the passion in her eyes and he picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist and he quickly went up the stairs gracefully his lips never leaving hers, closing his bedroom door behind them.

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Elena woke up a few hours later feeling lighter than she had in a long time. As she opened her eyes she had a small smile on her face but as she looks around she's unsure at first, not recognizing where she is but then she remembers what happened and she smiles to herself at the thought of Damon. She turns around but is surprised to find the other side of the bed cold and empty.

She starts to wrap the sheet around herself but finds a black robe on the foot of the bed and puts it on and goes to look for Damon. She descends down the stairs slowly, a bad feeling creeping up on her and she finds him in the exact same place as she did earlier in front of the fireplace looking into the fire, a drink in his hand. Her heart starts to sink as she notices his overnight bag in the hallway, full and packed.

"I guess I should be glad that you're still here." she said trying to keep the anger out of her voice.

"I thought about leaving quietly without a word but in the end I…I just couldn't do it." he said continuing to look into the fire.

"So this is it…you finally get me in your bed and now you're leaving." she says feeling the anger course through her.

He turned and looked at her but didn't say anything right away. As his eyes bore into hers though she knew her assumptions were wrong, he looked like a man broken. "Yes that's me, use em and leave em." he says shrugging and she gives him a look that tells him she regrets what she said and he sighs, "My leaving isn't about what happened tonight between us, it just makes it that much harder to leave." he said walking towards her until her was standing right in front of her. "I love you Elena but despite how much as I love you I can't be here right now."

"But I don't understand. I want to be with you. I love you too Damon."

"Elena…" he started to say looking down.

"No you listen to me Damon Salvatore. I love you. You are more than worthy of my love and if Stefan's death has taught me anything it's that we can't waste anymore time." she said and she smiled slightly and touched his face making him look at her, "I love you and I want to be with you…forever."

The implications of her words sat there while Damon searched her eyes for any hesitation or misgivings of what she meant. "Just so I'm clear, are you saying that you want me to turn you?" he asked slowly.

She simply nodded her head looking at him trying to gauge his reaction and make him understand that this really was what she wanted.

"Well that was the last thing that I ever thought would come out of your mouth." he said smiling slightly, "You surprise me." he leaned down and put his forehead against hers before putting his arms around her pulling her close and kissing her soundly. Elena reacted with eagerness but Damon quickly pulled away and put his forehead against hers again. "But I can't do that. I can't…I can't change you Elena. I'm sorry."

"What Damon of course you can, we belong together." She said pulling away staring at him, "How can you not want to change me, would you rather watch me grow old and die?"

"No." he said sighing, "I want to be with you forever don't get me wrong but you…you Elena deserve more than this life."

"All I want is to be with you Damon." she argued stubbornly.

"Maybe that's what you want right now but maybe that's not what you want tomorrow and trust me when I say eternity is a long time." he says.

"I know what I want Damon and I'm not going to change my mind. If you won't do it then I'll just find another way." she turning to walk away but he was in front of her in an instant.

"You're just so damn stubborn." he growled. "Sacrificing yourself, becoming a vampire, it always has to be your way doesn't it? Do you think this easy for me Elena, to say no to you when you say you want to be with me forever? I have loved you for so long and I have dreamed that you would say that you wanted to be with me forever, but I won't do it."

"I don't understand. I'm not trying to get my way Damon and I just want you to understand that I want to spend all of eternity with you and only you." she said brushing some hair out of his eyes.

"And I can't let you do that," he said before grabbing her hand when she started to walk away from him again. "You're only 17. Being an eternal teenager wasn't exactly easy for Stefan. I'm sure Caroline loves being young forever but being a vampire will change everything for you. Humanity is something that vampires struggle with Elena, Stefan did even though he tried not to show it and I…well we know how I am." he smirked and she glared at him.

"You have your humanity Damon."

They stood there staring at eachother and Damon shook his head finally knowing that she wouldn't budge. "Fine, I say we make a compromise. I don't exactly want to be tied to jail bait for the rest of eternity so I say you wait a few more years and I will turn you."

"But…"

"But..." he said taking a breath, "While you're waiting to turn I won't be here."

"You're still leaving!" she yells surprised.

"I have to Elena, I can't stay here and this will be good for you, for us because it will give you time to decide if this is what you really want, if I'm still what you really want."

She thought about it for a minute trying to process what he was saying and unfortunately seeing the rationale in his compromise, "How long?"

"I don't know…five years I guess. It will put you into your early 20's, it'll be good you won't be jail bait." he said smirking slightly and she shoved him lightly.

"So we just what go our separate ways, you live your life and I live mine and in five years time you come back and if I still feel the same way you turn me and we spend all of eternity together."

"Yup modern day fairytale."

"This is insane Damon. I know what I want, no amount of time is going to change my mind." she says looking at him.

"I'm hoping so," he says smiling, "So does that mean we have a compromise. You give me five years and at the end of that five years if you want me to I will change you and we can spend forever together."

Elena thought about it for a few minutes. It wasn't what she wanted but she knew that it was really her only option otherwise Damon would waltz outside that door and walk away from her forever. She also knew that if she agreed there were no guarantees that he would come back in five years either but she hoped and believed that he would.

"Ok but you have to promise me something." she said standing in front of him taking his hand.

"What's that?"

"You won't flip the switch, that you'll attempt to live as normal of a human life as possible." she looking at him seriously.

"Well that's no fun." he said trying to joke but she leveled him with a glare, "It's a lot to ask Elena."

"And I know that you're completely capable of it."

He seemed to think about but then nodded his head. "It's only easy when you're around but I'll try." he said then looked at her seriously, "And you have to do something for me. I want you to have every human experience as possibly. Go to prom, graduate, go to college, travel, break some human hearts, get arrested, I want you to live Elena. I want you to try to forget me for five years and live your life normally."

"I can't forget you Damon."

"Well of course not, I'm me...but I want you try." he said and she nodded her head.

They stood like that staring at eachother for a few minutes before they inevitably find themselves locked in an embrace kissing. When they break apart Damon runs his fingers through her hair before tracing the outline of her face trying to commit it all to memory. "I'd better get going."

She simply nods her head as she feels the tears starting to build up in her eyes. She held his hand as he walked to the door. He turned and looked at her, "I love you Elena Gilbert."

"And I love you Damon Salvatore." she said smiling, "Five years."

"Five years and then…forever."

"Forever." she repeated. He kissed her before picking up his bag and he turned to look at her one last time and before her mouth turned up in a smile he was gone.

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_a/n: Please review_


	2. Memories

Ugh...I'm so sorry this took so long to post. A lot has happened in the last few weeks and I have not been able to focus on this story. Actually, I was so excited about the idea and the prologue that I whipped out the prologue and didn't really think of what I wanted for the rest of this story, so that also contributed to the tardiness of this chapter. This chapter is definitely shorter than I generally write but I really wanted to get something out to you and I hadn't finished what was meant to be the back part of this chapter yet but I decided it could work for the beginning of the next chapter. Anyway I hope you enjoy it.

O

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One

Memories

I lazily opened my eyes but I found it to be extremely difficult, my head was pounding so hard. God why did my head hurt so bad? I brought my hand up to my head and felt something wet but sticky on my fingers. I slowly brought my hands close to my eyes and was surprised to find something dark on my fingertips, blood.

Then suddenly it all came back to me. Klaus had taken me, Katherine, and Tyler for the sacrifice. Bonnie had somehow managed to locate them and they had all come after them even though I didn't want them to. Elijah had somehow been able to free me when Klaus got a hold of Damon, but as I was running to safety I had been knocked out somehow. I sat up slowly looking around me but I was alone. Where was everyone? Where was I? As my eyes began to focus I recognized the ruins of Fells Church in the near distance and then I suddenly saw a flash of bright light in the sky and as the pounding in my head started to subside I could make out what sounded like grunts a short distance away. I struggled to get up and walk toward the noise and the light I had seen.

I walked a few feet towards what I soon recognized as a small clearing in the middle of the woods near the falls. What I saw amazed me. Everyone I cared about was in that clearing fighting to save me. Bonnie was in the center of a circle of fire holding hands with Luca and Jonas and they appeared to be chanting some sort of spell. Caroline and Tyler in his wolf form were fighting another vamp together, a fair distance away Jeremy had a super soaker full of what I'm guessing was vervain and was squirting some of the vampires while Alaric had a blow torch and crossbow. Stefan and Katherine were handling a few vamps of their own and Elijah and Klaus were dueling as well. But where was Damon?

I looked around but didn't see him anywhere when suddenly I spotted him tied up and slumped against a tree. I quickly ran towards him, trying not be noticed. When I reached him his eyes widened.

"Elena…what are you doing here?" he asked weakly, "You have to get out of here."

"No." I said stubbornly as I struggled to free him from the ropes that I knew were soaked in vervain. "I'm not leaving you Damon." As I untied the knots from the rope I noticed they had also rammed a stake through his shoulder keeping him in place. After I had managed to get the last knot out, I looked at the stake and back at him.

"This might hurt a bit."

"I don't doubt it." he said as I grabbed hold of the stake. I pulled hard and Damon's face contorted in pain but I was able to pull it out.

"They're going to kill you Elena." You have to run." he said looking at me seriously.

"No Damon. I have to get you out of here. You're hurt and weak." I said helping him to sit and I could see the pain still etched across his face. "You need blood."

"Yeah let's go to the blood bank furthest from here. Let's go right now far, far away from here." he said trying to get me to leave.

I just shook my head and grabbed a sharp rock on the ground and took in a sharp breath as I slit my wrist with the rock.

"You're crazy." he said trying to shove my arm away but I shoved my wrist against his lips.

"Just drink it Damon, you can't save me unless you do." He looked at me for a moment hesitating before parting his lips and gradually sucking on my wrist. It was the oddest and most amazing sensation I had ever felt before I couldn't help but think.

Then suddenly I was ripped away from Damon and hurdling through the air and in Klaus' grasp. "Ahh good you're awake." he sneered sliding his finger across my cheekbone as he somehow had be floating in the air. Then he started screaming out in pain suddenly and he let go of me and I hit the ground. I looked up to find Katherine, Stefan and Damon all around Klaus' body. Damon had shoved the dagger into Klaus.

Damon was suddenly beside me cupping my face and looking me over. "Are you ok, did he hurt you?"

I simply shook my head and smiled back at him but then I saw Klaus slowly begin to stand up with a flick of his hand he had Katherine and Stefan pinned against nearby trees. He picked up a stake off the ground and began walking towards us. He raised the stake and aimed it towards Damon. My eyes grew wide but for the life of me I couldn't say anything, Damon must have noticed my expression because he turned around quickly putting his hands up, but Stefan was suddenly in between Damon and Klaus.

"Stefan no!" Katherine yelled out.

The stake plunged into Stefan's heart and Stefan fell back into his brother's arms. Katherine grabbed the dagger off the ground and plunged it into Klaus' heart and Elijah suddenly appeared and plunged a second dagger in. I looked away but my eyes fell to Damon sitting on the ground with Stefan in his arms. I staggered over to them and saw Stefan's ashen skin and could not bear to look. Damon sat there crying and I did the only thing I knew to do, I put my arms around him and held him as he cried.

I sat up suddenly my eyes darting all around me. I was in my room, in my bed, covered in a cold sweat. I sighed and wiped my forehead, it was just another dream, only it wasn't just another dream. It was a memory, the same memory that has haunted me nearly every night for the last five years.

I got up knowing that attempting to go to sleep again would be useless. I padded downstairs and poured myself a glass of water and sat down on one of the stools. Klaus, Stefan's death…for the last five years this same memory haunted my dreams but it has only gotten worse since I moved back to Mystic Falls. It used to just be snippets but now it was the entire horrifying night.

I knew the dreams were worse now that I was home. My friends in college and in San Francisco had suggested I see a therapist and I tried but how exactly do you explain that the reason why you're screaming your head off at night is because you're reliving the night you were nearly sacrificed to break an ancient curse and that vampires, werewolves and witches all existed in your life. Yeah therapy was really going to work. I'd probably end up in an insane asylum if I told them my life story.

Ugh I really have to stop thinking about the past like this.

I peered out the window and saw the sun was almost up and it wasn't raining. I went back up to my room and changed quickly and laced up my sneakers intent on going for a run. As I stepped out of the bathroom my eyes wandered to the window seat and another memory started to enter my mind.

"Cute p.j.'s"

Ugh. I couldn't think of that now.

I hadn't always been a runner but it was a good habit I picked up in college after months of feeling restless and looking for trouble, I found running to be a good alternative.

I just started running letting my mind clear, music blasting through my headphones and without realizing it, I found myself a mile away from the old Salvatore Boarding house. I had avoided this place since I came back. I hadn't been back here since the night Damon left but for some reason instead of turning the other way as I normally did, I felt myself running towards it this time.

I made my way up the road and the long driveway until I saw the familiar structure and I stopped for a moment to take it in and catch my breath. I walked the rest of the way and pulled out my keys from my pocket, easily finding the right one and slipped it into the lock and opened the door, but I didn't make a move to enter. I stood there frozen bracing myself, thinking. A day after my 18th birthday, I received a copy of a title for the Boarding house and to my surprise it stated that I was half owner of Boarding House. Damon had given me the house but left no note or explanation. I thought Damon was dead for months and but then he sent world through Alaric that he was ok. After that I refused to come back to the Boarding House and sent Jeremy to deal with the place, even told him he could live there if he wanted.

I don't know what brought me back here now. That's not true, I know exactly why I'm here. Today was exactly five years since the date of our compromise. As I walked through that door and slowly wandered around the house, I don't know I think I half expected Damon to just pop up and be there, pouring himself a drink, lounging on the couch reading a book, coming up from the basement with a bag of blood. Everywhere I turned I thought he would just be. I paused at his bedroom door and took a breath before throwing the door open. In my head I could imagine him propped up on one elbow smirking at me but he wasn't there.

I shook my head at my own idiocy. We said five years but we never stated when we would meet up exactly. Of course Damon wouldn't just come back here at exactly the five year mark and me moving back to Mystic Falls in a hurry when I looked at the calendar realizing there was only a month left, quitting my job, leaving the life I had built for myself in San Francisco, all in the hopes that Damon would simply just come back to me. I was ridiculous.

I laughed out loud at my idiocy.

I shook my head and walked out the front door and locked it behind me and jogged back to town deciding to stop at the Mystic Grille for some breakfast.

"Hey Elena." Matt said greeting me from behind the bar as I walked up to him, "You're here early this morning."

"Yeah felt restless and I went for a jog." I said taking a seat in front of him. A year ago when the Grille's owner decided to retire to Florida, Matt, Tyler and Jeremy bought the place. Tyler and Jeremy were basically silent partners while Matt oversaw the day to day operations, although occasionally Jeremy would come in and help out too.

"Jogging? You? I think California really messed with your head." he teased and I balled up cocktail napkin and threw it at him. "Hey!"

"You deserve it." I say smiling.

"Alright so what can I get you?"

"How about some coffee, and orange juice, and a stack of blueberry pancakes with bacon and scrambled eggs." I said smiling.

"Now that's the Elena I remember." he said smiling before disappearing into the kitchen and I started to read the newspaper.

"Hey have you heard from Caroline or Tyler?" he asked as he came back out. "I've been trying to get a hold of Tyler but he won't return any of my calls and I need his take on something important."

"Uh…no." I said, "Aren't they still on there year long honeymoon bumming around Europe or something."

"I guess so." Matt said I could hear the sadness in his voice.

After everything that had happened with Klaus, the bond between Caroline and Tyler only intensified and in the end Caroline ended up breaking Matt's heart. They stayed in Mystic Falls for awhile but after you've gone a few years and you still look exactly the way you did when you were 17, they decided it was time to head out.

The funny thing was, Matt is still the only one that is completely in the dark about what has gone on in this town. How he has never managed to find out is beyond me, but I kind of liked that Matt seemed like the one safe spot in this town.

I suddenly felt the hairs in the back of my neck stand up and my heart started to race. "Hey isn't that Stefan's brother? What's his name?" Matt said looking behind me.

I didn't need to turn around to know that it was him. Matt's words only confirmed what my senses were already telling me. He was back. I took a deep breath and turned in my seat slowly and standing in front of me was the most beautiful man I had ever laid eyes on gazing right back at me with his crystal clear blue eyes.

"Damon."


End file.
